The ITU Volunteer Club Supports Our Children and Youth

Mar 03, 2017

The ITU Volunteer Club, , which shows that a better world can be realized with the projects it has carried out such as Another Way and Operation Pomegranate Projects, organizes social activities for children and young people who are in need but have limited means. Our students, who are members of the Club, prepare them for a bright future with the training they provide at the Ayazağa Campus.

Love, respect and a warm atmosphere of sincerity, "Another Way" is 10 years old!

That unrecognizable feeling that comes with accomplishment, the excitement of transferring your knowledge to new generations from where you once attended lectures, the comfort of being a part of a family of 60 people gathering for a meal...the ITU Volunteer Club members engage in communication with young people, in a climate full of love and respect, leading to a brighter future with their "Another Way" project, where every young person who starts a university education opens the door to greater happiness.

Thanks to the project that celebrates its 10th year this past month the students who are preparing for university but who have limited educational opportunities due to material and emotional impossibilities, are supported, with lessons from ITU volunteers. In the project, which has been successfully carried out for 10 years, the students in our university and sometimes the young people from other universities teach two hours a week. With 90 club volunteers, through the Another Way project, 3 senior science students, 2 equivalency students, and one 11th grade science student, in a total of 6 student areas, accompany 42 students who are preparing for university. The project, which does not receive grants anywhere other than associations and foundations within our university, constitutes an exemplary model as an independent social responsibility initiative. This way, young people who are contacted are also encouraged to participate in cultural activities and social awareness in addition to the education they receive on our campuses. Another Way allows these young people to participate in social events including picnics, special club meals, and many other activities organized at our university.

The project stands out with its contribution to the education of children and youth with limited opportunities without expecting anything in return. Lessons provided by Another Way are carried out in classrooms with a maximum of 10 people on the Ayazağa Campus. For high school seniors who are studying science, a total of 7 classes, including mathematics 1, mathematics 2, physics, chemistry, biology, geometry and Turkish; for senior high school students who are in equivalency; mathematics 1, mathematics 2, geometry, Turkish, history, literature and geography lessons in total 7; for 11th grade science students, a total of 6 courses are offered, consisting of mathematics 1, mathematics 2, physics, chemistry, biology and geometry, are held during the weekends, as two hour classes, between 9:00 am – 6:00 pm. Curricula to be followed in lessons are determined at the beginning of the semester and offered to the common use of volunteers. At this point, the Club’s library can also be used for support. Subjects that students find especially challenging are reinforced with studies that are scheduled at appropriate times during the week and the level of knowledge is measured by trial exams. The ITU Volunteer Club is constantly in contact with school principals so that high school students with limited opportunities can benefit from the project. Once permission is obtained from the families of suitable students who are eligible to participate in the training, meeting with the parents are held and then classes are started.

The club uses textbooks and questionnaires provided as grants from publishing houses and educational institutions in order to maintain their work in a healthier way and to provide more opportunities for young people to prepare for university. In addition, high school students who have a chance to determine their future by joining Another Way are offered food at the end of the week thanks to food aid provided by philanthropists.

The ITU Volunteer Club is waiting for your help in the name of being able to reach out to more people with Another Way and other projects to offer better opportunities.
You can reach the ITU Volunteer Club through their Facebook and Twitter accounts to support our youth and our children who want to participate in our country’s future but have limited opportunities. To support Another Way, you can visit the website or Twitter.

With Operation Pomegranate, the world is great for kids

Offering extracurricular training in the social lives of children under state protection, Operation Nar contributes to the growth of children as more sensitive individuals in the world by giving them a collection of experiences that they can use for life. During Operation Nar, the Club conducts workshops, plans outings, and visits weekly with the children in the Ministry of Family and Social Policy shelters. Workshop activities improve children's hand-eye coordination, teach them to work in teams, enhance their design skills and expand their imagination. Trips on the other hand allow a different viewpoint as children find themselves in various different environments. The ITU Volunteer Club has been carrying out workshops in the fields of 3-dimensional city building, cookie making, Ebru art and memory games, as well as trips organized to the Toy Museum, Marine Museum, Space House, as well as inflated play parks, costume characters; by making the Nar Children’s Festival a tradition, the aim is that our children leave with memories that they will never forget.
Club members increase their knowledge of the concepts of "child psychology" and "protective family" so that they are better informed on these points in order to raise their awareness for children in the shelters. A variety of studies are being conducted by introducing people who are not in the project to be a foster family by opening stands to increase interest in the places where many people like to congregate such as shopping malls. Thus, there are plans to launch the Operation Pomegranate project in cities visited by the Club in order to also reach the children there.

Operation Pomegranate basically aims to raise awareness of our children's social rights, to improve their communication skills, to give them a sense of social responsibility by imbuing the spirit of volunteerism, and to adopt club members as role models. Members also take into consideration such points as creating a good sharing environment with children and volunteers taking on active tasks when doing these things. The ITU Volunteer Club uses university facilities for Operation Nar welcoming our children who are in communication with our campus and offering them important motivation in terms of determining their ideals.